I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 19

On the streets of the capital, a few inconspicuous carriages rolled along. Passersby noticed the servants trailing beside these carriages and noticed immediately that these carriages must belong to some officials who had returned from distant regions in a rush to attend the emperor’s birthday celebration banquet.

“Who’s arrived now? They’ve showed up this late; aren’t they afraid of missing the festivities?” someone mused aloud.

At that moment, a gust of wind lifted the corner of one carriage’s curtain, revealing a sliver of the passenger’s face. It was a young woman who had her dark hair swept into a graceful bun, adorned with a golden butterfly hairpin. Her exposed chin was delicate, her skin was fair as snow, and her lips were a soft, inviting red.

Even that singular glimpse was enough to allow the onlookers to ascertain that her beauty must be extraordinary. It was enough to make these onlookers forget themselves.

After a moment’s daze, someone remarked, “I recognize that hairpin. She must be the wife of the marquis of Yuanting’s heir—Lady Su! Su Luoyan from the Su family!”

“Ah, so it’s her,” said another. “She used to be engaged to the crown prince, wasn’t she?”

A few curious onlookers murmured among themselves. However, in the upstairs of a nearby teahouse, a stern-looking man sat by the window. His gaze was cold and distant as he stared intently at the carriage.

From his vantage, he saw the woman in the carriage clearly.

That woman was Su Luoyan, the girl who had once revered him like a deity. He remembered her tear-filled gaze as she looked at him and the way her frail figure had curled up on her bed.

Over the years, he’d gone through much, and the woman he once cherished had slowly grown hysterical. Su Baiwei was no longer the pure, gentle soul she had once been—the soul he had fallen in love with.

Gu Xiuyan often wondered. If he’d chosen Su Luoyan over Su Baiwei back then, would things have turned out better?

But life didn’t offer second chances or the option to look back.

He had given her up, and regret was now useless.

In that fleeting glimpse, he saw the same stunning beauty as before. He also noticed that her eyes were now clearer and more radiant than ever. She seemed still as beautiful, pure, and full of spirit as she used to be.

Gu Xiuyan couldn’t help but wonder: in Su Luoyan’s heart, was he still the deity-like figure whom she admired, or had she transferred that position to her blind husband?

With her steadfast nature, it was likely the latter. She was that type of woman—whoever was her husband became her whole world, even if he was a blind, disabled man. She would remain loyal and unwavering, and she would never leave his side.

“Your Imperial Highness. Your Imperial Highness?” a voice called, pulling him from his thoughts.

Gu Xiuyan turned to the man beside him and, after a moment’s silence, said, “I understand. Go and tell her I won’t be able to visit her during my father’s birthday celebrations. After the festivities, I’ll go see her and bring Yan’er along.”

“Yes, I’ll pass along your message to Lady Su.”

Gu Xiuyan watched the man leave. He lingered in the teahouse for a while before finally leaving.

Half a year ago, his cousin had become pregnant. It should’ve been a cause for joy. Unfortunately, she miscarried after an argument with Su Baiwei. Ever since then, she had been left unable to conceive.

The Song family was infuriated by the incident. They pressured Gu Xiuyan to send Su Baiwei away. For six months now, Su Baiwei had been living in an outer residence, where he occasionally visited her.

Gu Xiuyan could no longer distinguish his feelings for Su Baiwei. Did he love her? Perhaps. Every time she wept softly before him, he felt sympathy.

He was drawn to her fragility, her understanding, her delicate dependence on him, and as long as she remained quiet, he had endless patience for her.

However, Su Baiwei was always restless, prone to jealousy, and constantly suspicious.

She repeatedly doubted him, and she was always convinced that he would bring other women back whenever he went on to perform his duties for the emperor. She doubted his loyalty and questioned his love. She enjoyed testing his affections and pushing him with her dramatic outbursts, and this eventually drained his feelings for her.

After numerous episodes, Gu Xiuyan felt an indescribable weariness for her.

At these times, he would recall his former betrothed, Su Luoyan. She had been dignified, graceful, and sensible. Had she been his true love, they would never have descended to such a state.

If she were his partner, he’d be far happier than the person he was now. Of that, Gu Xiuyan was certain.

***

Ah Luo returned to the capital very late. The emperor’s birthday banquet was in two days, but she and Wenren Jin had only returned now to the marquis’ residence.

While others had arrived earlier, they had lingered along the way due to an unexpected development—Ah Luo was once again pregnant.

It was a complete surprise, as no one had expected it at this time. Fortunately, this pregnancy had gone smoothly, with few symptoms other than slight drowsiness at times.

Even so, Wenren Jin remained deeply concerned and made sure to travel slowly. They should have arrived half a month ago, but instead, they arrived only now.

After resting for two days to recover from the journey, the day of the emperor’s birthday banquet arrived.

Ah Luo entered the banquet with her daughter, Suisui. As Wenren Jin’s wife, she was naturally expected to attend the banquet, along with their daughter, Suisui, as well.

The banquet was divided into two sides. Men dined with the emperor in the Chaoyang Palace, while the women, led by the Noble Consort Rou, gathered in Yuexia Palace.

Upon her arrival, Ah Luo spotted a familiar face. The other woman noticed her as well and waved her over.

Ah Luo walked over. With a smile on her face, she saluted the woman and said, “Seventh Princess Consort.”

“Why are you being so polite?” Zhao Qiuchen asked. After years of them not seeing each other, Zhao Qiuchen seemed to have grown more mature and composed. However, she still warmly took Ah Luo’s hand and bent down to tease the little girl at Ah Luo’s side by saying, “Little Yue’er, do you remember me?”

Suisui’s real, full name was Wenren Yue. Suisui was only her nickname, which carried her parents’ hope that she would always have ‘peace.’ (1-32)

“Hello, Aunt Zhao,” Suisui responded cheerfully. She had never been afraid of strangers, and Zhao Qiuchen had sent Ah Luo letters and little gifts over the years, so Suisui remembered her well. 

Seeing the adorable child, Zhao Qiuchen brightened. Her fondness deepened as she held Suisui close and chatted.

Ah Luo settled next to her friend and stayed there until the banquet began.

This scene caught the attention of onlookers, who each contemplated its significance.

The name of the event—the emperor’s birthday, might exude grandeur, but in reality, it was merely long, dull, and exhausting.

For the women especially, there was little to see. They saw no greetings from foreign dignitaries or princely gifts, just food that cooled quickly, an occasional toast, and Noble Consort Rou’s polite gestures.

Ah Luo observed the famous Noble Consort Rou. She had initially been an unremarkable member of the emperor’s inner palace, as she had never been the most beautiful or talented woman in it. Yet, over time, she gained the emperor’s exclusive favor. By the time he turned forty, he rarely visited any other concubines and bestowed his attention solely upon her.

Perhaps age had inclined him toward domestic comfort, for he truly seemed to regard her as his wife. Together with the consort, he raised the seventh prince—the first of his children to be raised directly under his guidance.

Rumours even suggested that in private, the seventh prince addressed the emperor not as ‘Imperial Father,’ but rather as ‘Dad,’ as common people would address their father! (1-33)

Despite such favours, Noble Consort Rou and the seventh prince acted with admirable restraint. From afar, Noble Consort Rou seemed to sense Ah Luo’s gaze. She turned and offered her a gentle smile.

The seventh prince was widely praised among both nobles and commoners.

He was diligent and conscientious, and he carried out all of the emperor’s instructions with great care. Despite praise and many supporters, he remained humble and showed no ambition for the emperor’s power.

In Ah Luo’s eyes, the seventh prince treated the emperor as his true father—and not merely his emperor. Also, from Zhao Qiucheng’s lively demeanour, it was clear that he treated her well. Becoming a prince’s wife hadn’t dimmed her spirit.

If the seventh prince were to rule, surely he would fare no worse than the male protagonist in the novel. The male protagonist, who was prone to romance-driven angst with the female protagonist, didn’t show any prospect of change when he became the emperor. This caused him to show little promise as a ruler as well.

Rather than the storyline, though, Ah Luo trusted her own judgement better. The novel was simply a medium, while this was a real world. She had made her choices here, clearly and openly.

From the moment she openly sat by Zhao Qiuchen’s side, she’d already revealed her stance.

As the feast wore on, all of the food had gone cold and the sky outside was already pitch black. Ah Luo noticed Suisui had fallen asleep in her arms. 

At last, a maid approached Ah Luo and said, “My lady, would you like to take the young miss to the back hall and rest for a while there? The birthday banquet is about to end, so it would be fine for you to leave now.”

Suisui was already three years old, after all, and Ah Luo found it straining to hold her all the time. Most importantly, she was a little drowsy herself. She wrapped her daughter in a fox fur cloak and asked the young palace maid to lead her to the back hall.

At this time, many other people were also leaving their seats to go out for the bathroom or to rest, so Ah Luo’s departure didn’t attract much attention.

The young maid held out a lantern and led Ah Luo through the winding corridors. Eventually, she stopped in a side hall.

“My lady, this is it.”

“Where is this place? Which hall, which palace? Who do you serve?” Ah Luo quickly demanded. 

She had felt that something was off halfway through their walk. She had realised that the maid had led her not to a back hall, but somewhere closer to Chaoyang Palace—where the men’s side of the banquet was taking place.

Before the young maid could answer, Ah Luo suddenly heard steady and heavy footsteps coming from behind her. She heard a deep male voice calling from behind her, saying, “Yan’er, it’s me.”

Ah Luo spun around. She saw a tall, strong-featured man in black, standing not far away from her. It was her former betrothed, the crown prince and the male protagonist, Gu Xiuyan!

His dark gaze fixed upon her, as if he was recalling their past, with a complex expression on his face. When he saw the child sleeping soundly in her arms, his face darkened.

“Yan’er, is this your child with Wenren Jin?” he asked in a low voice.

Ah Luo was bewildered. She couldn’t understand why the male protagonist had brought her here and then spoke to her with such an accusatory tone. His expression also looked as if she had cheated on him or something!

Seeing her silence, Gu Xiuyan continued, “It’s been a few years, and it seems you’re doing well. You’re even more beautiful than before. That blind husband of yours must treat you well.”

Ah Luo widened her eyes and stared at him in disbelief.

Was something wrong with this male protagonist? She was the female supporting character, the woman whom he disdained! In the novel, he barely even spared her a glance whenever he could get away with it. What was with that tone of his? 

Most importantly, how dare he speak that way about Wenren Jin!?